This ethics policy is intended for Zany News writers and guest authors but is made public to meet our standard on transparency. Some of the guidelines were adapted from journalistic integrity organizations that provide ethics policy statements for use by any news agency interested in creating a robust ethics policy. They have been edited to meet the unique style of Zany Progressive News.
PRINCIPLES
There’s a difference between providing information and telling Americans what is happening in their vast country – and explaining how events beyond our borders affect them.
Context and perspective are fundamental. It’s the goal of our reporters and editors to focus on real people – not just institutions – to show in human terms how events affect our lives.
It’s a busy world out there so every story will convince readers that they should make time for it. If the news report doesn’t strive to be interesting or tell the reader why they should care, they’ll simply click to another website.
Although our role as reporters continues to evolve, the principles that guide our work are unchanged. Everything that we do must be honest, authentic, and real. We deal with facts that are demonstrable, supported by sources that are reliable and responsible.
Accuracy is fundamental. Discovery of a mistake calls for immediate correction. Corrections to stories already published are not delayed or stingy. They are written in a spirit of genuinely wanting to right a wrong in the fairest and fullest manner. See our Corrections and Updates Policy.
Breaking news is urgent. While speed is a primary objective of a news service committed to round-the-clock deadlines, Zany News is more interested in being reliable and providing a different perspective. A corporate news agency provides breaking news around the clock.
Readers can get important updates through one of the larger news organizations. Zany News is where readers go to get accurate information and commentary about breaking news stories—Real facts and commentary without the propaganda.
STAFF RESPONSIBILITY
Responsibility for upholding Zany News’ standards rests with our guest reporters, staff writers, and editors. So much individuality is involved in reporting, writing and editing news that it is impossible to have precise rules covering every eventuality. Being guided by proven practices is the surest way of meeting the standards that Americans have come to expect from a news organization.
Among the most important of these practices:
1. Investigate fully before transmitting any story or identifying any individual in a story where there is the slightest reason for doubt. When in doubt, cut it out.
2. Cite competent authorities and sources as the origin of any information open to question. Have proof available for publication in the event of a denial.
3. Be impartial when handling any news affecting parties or matters in controversy. Give fair representation to all sides at issue.
4. Stick to the facts, but don’t be afraid to include personal thoughts and feelings about the issue. We will always link to resources for all fact-based information so readers can validate the information we provide them.
Zany News is proud of the authenticity and originality of our work. We don’t treat the readers as if they are unable to distinguish fact from opinion, so there’s no pressure to preface each sentence with, “Editor’s note: this is my opinion.”
Our posts combine fact and emotion so readers get the straight facts in a story, written by a human being—a peer—that shares their values and ideology.
Zany News is different from other news websites in that the articles, while fact-based, are also fun to read with added snark or sarcasm. News gathered from other sources will sometimes be prefaced by commentary from Zany Progressive. Her commentary is based on her own thoughts and opinions. Her section is always marked by “Zany:” and ends with a divider to mark the separation of opinion and fact and totally fact-based reporting by the news organization and reporter named after the article.
5. Admit errors promptly, frankly. Public distrust of the mainstream media is profound and troubling. The distrust is fed by inaccuracy, carelessness, indifference to public sentiment, and arrogance. See our Corrections Policy
Zany News strives to help overcome such public attitudes through accurate reporting with authentic human emotion.
6. The power of news stories to injure is real. Zany News’ integrity and sensitivity demand that staff respond sympathetically and quickly when an error has been made.
ETHICAL BEHAVIOR
Part of our responsibility as journalists is to ensure we don’t do anything that demeans or weakens our credibility. Because we deliver the bad news about politicians who are corrupt, caregivers who abuse their trust and CEOs who discard ethics for gain, we must observe ethical practices, and be public in doing so.
It is impossible to raise all potential ethical challenges in this policy, but the following guiding principles are offered in the spirit of wanting to rebuild public trust, particularly in our organization.
1. Pride in yourself and in the practice of journalism will help to ensure ethical behavior.
2. We pay our own way. Staff does not accept anything that might compromise our integrity or credibility.
3. Zany News does not pay newsmakers for interviews, to take their pictures or to film or record them.
4. Zany News’ reporters do not misrepresent themselves to get a story. They always identify themselves as staff of a progressive news website.
QUOTATIONS
Quotes are important for any story. They add credibility and make a story moreingeresting to read.
They can also bring grief to writers and editors who don’t follow certain guidelines. Some news organizations permit liberties with quotes. We take a more serious approach to any tampering with only what was actually said.
In general, we quote people verbatim. We correct slips of grammar that are obvious slips and that would be needlessly embarrassing. We remove verbal mannerisms such as “ah’s” and meaningless repetitions. We fix careless spelling mistakes and other typos from emails and text messages.
Otherwise we do not revise quotations.
While we don’t routinely use abnormal spellings and grammar to indicate dialects or mispronunciations, they can have a place in helping to convey atmosphere.
Cleaning up this tweet from a teenage fan in a story about Justin Bieber’s use of Twitter would have taken an element out of the story:
“i wonder if @justinbieber ever sees my tweets, probably not, but im never gonna stop trying<3”
Other points to remember about handling quotes:
1. Whenever possible, interviews should be recorded. When there is risk that a quote is not exact, for whatever reason, a paraphrase is safest.
2. When exactness is essential — if it’s one person’s word against another’s — quote verbatim.
3. When a speaker uses what is obviously a wrong word, check back when possible. When a quote does not make sense, check back with the speaker or ditch it.
4. Misquotes don’t just result from carelessness. Failure to place a quote in context can have the same damaging effect on credibility.
Similarly, failure to indicate tone can skew a quote. A speaker’s sarcastic comment should include “she said with a smile.”
5. When clear and concise, a full quote is preferred to a partial quote. But a partial quote can be useful at times.
6. Make only cosmetic changes to quotations from a text: changing spelling and capitalization, for example, or fixing typos and other small errors in spelling and punctuation.
7. If the quotations are coming from an email, text message, chat room or some other online service where it is virtually impossible to verify the source, make that clear in the story.
LANGUAGE
We are careful with translations. We do not imply that someone is speaking English when they are not.
In interviews and speeches, we make clear what language is being used unless it is obvious. When reporting the shouts of a crowd or the wording of protest signs that are in other languages, we specify that a translation is involved.
Readers are entitled to know when a direct or indirect quote is based on translation rather than the exact words used.
OBSCENITY
Zany News has a clear policy on the use of obscenity.
Obscenity will always be edited to conceal a few letters so only an adult reader will recognize the word, while readers sensitive to profanity are not offended.
RACE AND ETHNICITY
Our reporting will reflect the ethnic diversity of the country in a natural way, free of explicit or unconscious racism.
Identify a person by race, color, national origin or immigration status only when it is truly pertinent. It is appropriate to report that a woman facing deportation is Polish. Similarly, the victim of hate mail may be referred to as a Jew. A full description, including but not limited to color, may be used if a person wanted by police is at large.
The appearance of racial minorities in news reports should not be confined to accounts of cultural events, racial tension or crime. Comments on subjects that are a matter of public interest should come from a wide variety of people of different backgrounds.
Remember that what is obvious to a university-educated Christian whose parents were born in Britain might need explanation for persons from a variety of other backgrounds. It should not be taken for granted that a Muslim ceremony needs explanation while a Roman Catholic mass does not. Too often journalists – a profession that is only slowly starting to reflect the many faces of America – assume their readers share their WASP background.
Race and ethnicity are pertinent when it motivates an incident or when it helps explain the emotions of those in confrontation. Thus references to race or ethnic background are relevant in reports of racial controversy, immigration difficulties, language discussions, and so on.
When an incident cuts across ethnic lines, say so, as when a sizable number of Americans join Venezuelan immigrants in demonstrating against immigration procedures.
The ethnicity of a person found guilty of shoplifting is usually irrelevant and should not be included.
Race is pertinent in reporting an accomplishment unusual in a particular race.
Arguing that humor was intended is no defense for a racial slur.
Always consult supervisors before using racially derogatory terms, and only in a direct quotation and when essential to the story. Warn readers at the beginning of a story and note the location (paragraph 4) so they can choose to avoid it.
Guidelines on the names of races
1. Capitalize the proper names of nationalities, peoples, races and tribes.
Indigenous Peoples, Arab, Caucasian, French-Canadian, Inuit, Jew, Latin, Negro, Asian, Cree
2. Note that black and white do not name races and are lowercase.
3. The term black is acceptable in all references in the United States and Canada. In the United States African-American is also used; in Canada African-Canadian is used by some people, but not by others.
4. There is usually no need to use hyphenated descriptions such as Polish-American or Jamaican-American, given they may put an inappropriate emphasis on the person’s ethnic background. But these descriptions can be used if the individual prefers it and it is relevant.
SEXISM GUIDELINES
Treat the sexes equally and without stereotyping. A woman’s marital or family status — single, married, divorced, grandmother — is pertinent only to explain a personal reference or to round out a profile. The test always is: Would this information be used if the subject were a man?
Never assume that a family of four always consists of a man, a woman and their two children. Don’t write as if every married couple consists of a man and a woman.
Shoppers (not housewives) are paying more.
When writing in general terms prefer police officer to policeman, firefighter to fireman, mail carrier to mailman, flight attendant to stewardess.
But if sex is pertinent, masculine and feminine forms are proper: postman, policewoman, air steward.
Use only established feminine variants ending in -woman.
Write businesswoman, Frenchwoman, spokeswoman but not journeywoman, linewoman, defencewoman.
Avoid other feminine variants unless they are so well established that a substitute rings false.
Thus it is proper to describe a woman as a hostess, masseuse, princess, seamstress or as an author, comedian, Jew, murderer, poet, sculptor. Actor and actress are both acceptable.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY
The issue of gender identity and expression has evolved rapidly in recent years, testing and reinventing some of society’s most basic boundaries and norms in the process and making the best way to report on gender issues a moving target, to say the least.
Because the standards are fluid and ever-changing, we tread carefully, remaining flexible and open-minded, and are guided by the personal preferences of the people we are writing about.
Some of our guidelines:
A person’s sexual orientation should be never mentioned unless relevant to the story.
Gay and lesbian are the preferred terms to describe people attracted to the same sex.
Don’t use gay as a noun.
Although many gay people use the expression queer, avoid except in quotations as some readers might construe it as offensive.
Use sexual orientation, not sexual preference; sexuality is not an option.
Don’t refer to a gay lifestyle or suggest that the majority of gay men and lesbians routinely live unorthodox lives; most don’t.
Don’t use admitted homosexual or similar, which suggests criminality; use openly gay or openly lesbian, but only if it is necessary to use a modifier for clarity.
Language is still evolving on what to call the individuals in a same-sex relationship or marriage. Follow their preference if it is known. Boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, husband, and wife are all acceptable options depending on situation and preference.
Gender identity and Transgender Avoid using the shortened form “trans” except in a quote or when the meaning is spelled out in copy, as its definition is often not well understood.
Gender expression, on the other hand, refers to how an individual chooses to outwardly express their gender identity. The two do not always align perfectly, so avoid assumptions. Take care not to confuse gender identity or gender expression with sexual orientation. Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer.
The term transsexual has a clinical definition as someone who identifies as a member of the sex opposite to that assigned at birth, and so as such should not be confused with the broader term transgender.
When in doubt, ask.
It’s important to note that while some transgender people might be undergoing hormone therapy or surgery as part of their transition efforts, not all will choose to do so, nor should their identity as transgender be defined in that way.
In some cases, one’s gender identity may be neither male nor female — a circumstance known variously as non-binary, gender non-conforming or genderqueer. Use such lesser-known terms advisedly and always with a definition, as their meanings can be amorphous or poorly understood by some readers.
The term two-spirit (not “two-spirited”) is often used to represent various gender identities and sexual orientations within the Indigenous community. It is a broad term with a number of definitions; some use it in a literal sense to reflect an identity that is both male and female, while others use it in a metaphorical sense. Seek clarity from a subject before using it, and avoid its various abbreviations in order to prevent confusion.
Whenever possible, confirm with the person how they wish to be described in print, including their preferred pronouns — male, female or gender-neutral pronouns they/them. Such pronouns can be used sparingly to refer to a single individual who expresses such a preference, but be careful — it can get confusing for a reader. Always explain the person’s preference in copy, and make generous use of the person’s chosen name as an alternative in order to foster as much clarity as possible.
Derogatory terms should be avoided whenever possible, even when part of a direct quotation. Consult a supervisor in those exceedingly rare cases where the use of the term might be absolutely necessary. In such cases, flag the story with a Caution note spelling out where in the story the slur is contained.
SOURCES
Cultivating knowledgeable sources who can provide the background and insight necessary for delivering a complete story is the trademark of the excellent reporter.
Without good sources — be they the town clerk in the small northern mining town, or the fast-moving staff member of a Senator—cannot hope to craft a comprehensive daily picture of life in America and the world.
It is the job of journalists to meet a variety of people. We should all take a special interest in people and listen to what they have to say. Developing good sources is an important part of journalism.
When dealing with sources, remember that many people are not used to dealing with the media. Ensure they understand they are being quoted, and their words or picture may appear online.
See Also: Our Ethics Policy on the Use of AI
Last update: July, 2024.
